Scottsburg High School sophomore Avery Kendall left the Indiana State School Music Association Vocal and Piano Solo and Ensemble district competition on a high note. She won a gold rating in Group I and will advance to the state competition on Feb. 16 at Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis.

“I’m super excited. I didn’t get a chance to do it last year,” Kendall said.

With her mezzo-soprano voice, Kendall performed an Italian aria, “Sebben, Crudele.” Translated in English, the song’s title is “Thou Is Not Deserving” or “Although Cruel,” and the song examines the topic of unrequited love. The piece is entirely in Italian.

“I picked it for her because it worked for her voice. It has a lot of hard technical stuff,” said Ashley Kruth, Scottsburg High School choir teacher.

To perform the piece, Kendall had to learn how to pronounce the Italian lyrics of the song and research the meaning of the song. Kruth helped Kendall learn the Italian diction and pronunciation as Kruth knows five languages. Kendall also worked on breath support to sing the notes and worked to convey the emotion the author wanted the listener to understand.

“It was difficult to believe in myself to sing it,” Kendall said about the sophisticated piece.

Through hours of practice at home and with Kruth, Kendall felt prepared when it came time for the district competition.

“I am really proud of her and everyone,” Kruth said. “I threw really hard stuff at them this year with the expectation of high standards.”

For the last three years, a SHS student has advanced to state for the ISSMA Vocal Solo competition. Along with Kendall, five students at Scottsburg Middle School, including Kendall’s brother Brandt, received top honors with three students receiving gold and two receiving silver. The other SMS students included Victoria Smith, Carly Carter, Ashia Alcorn, and Natasha Williams.